The verdict: this is one post where I will start with the verdict, which I usually reserve until the end. There are two things I want say about this program to sum it up:

(1) If you are unfamiliar with search-box style launchers like FARR and Launchy, you’re in for a treat. Once you try these, they will literally transform the way you use your computer. Just imagine: instead of hunting in your start menu or other locations for a shortcut, all you need to do is start typing the first few letters of the program name, and it will popup. (Very useful if you have a large folder full of portable programs, like I do, that never make it to the start menu).

(2) FARR is likely the best program of it’s kind. It has come a long way since I first saw it many years ago; for one thing, it has undergone a face ift that brought about the “wow” factor which Launchy had from the start.

But the real, difficult-to-replicate edge it has over other programs like it is the community over at Donationcoder which has embraced it and continuously develops plugins for it that enable it to perform a wide range of tasks.

So let me express my thanks to everyone who has contributed to FARR, whether it be by making a plugin, sharing alias packs, suggesting and testing features, etc. Not only do you guys make the program so much better, but you are what makes it fun for me to keep developing it. Thank you!

Dont get me wrong FARR is still the best but I came across this (not being developed any more) TypeAndRun

I do prefer its interface - SO simple! but what I really love is the way it autocompletes for you, say you start typing C:\pr it fills in the rest really fast. I know FARR does it too but you have to press tab every now and then.

Find and Run Robot is one of the most powerful apps on the list, with a ton of settings, plugins, and alias capabilities that let you customize a lot of how it works. It's a bit more difficult to set up, since it's so advanced, but it's good if you have very specific needs. It's biggest downside is that it doesn't index at all, which keeps resource usage low but can be slower to find things. Executor lets you choose, which is one of the reasons why it's just the best there is.